Rainforest [Hardcover]

Sara Oldfield (Author), Mark Rose (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2003

More than half of the world's living species--from the hidden forests and exotic mammals of Madagascar to the multicolored birds and butterflies of Central America--are found almost exclusively within the rainforest canopy. Illustrated with 200 spectacular color photographs, Rainforest celebrates the diversity and beauty of the life in the world's rainforests. Each chapter covers a major rainforest region: Africa, Madagascar, India and Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines, Central America, the Caribbean, the Amazon (which has more plant and animal species than anywhere else on Earth), and Brazil, as well as the temperate rainforests in areas such as Tasmania and North America. The book details habitat, plants and animals, and threats to the precarious balance between humans and rainforests. The introduction provides an overview of the world's rainforests and a summary of current conservation issues. Reference material includes a color world map showing the major rainforests, suggested further reading, and useful addresses.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Rain forests are magical places. More than half of the world's species are found in just the canopy layer of these forests, which are found on every continent (save Antarctica) where rainfall is high throughout the year. Oldfield, botanist and author of Rain Forests (1996), presents a wonderful overview of both tropical and temperate rain forests. An introductory chapter discusses the biodiversity found in rain forests and the human impact on this diversity, both from indigenous peoples and from extractive use by outside groups. Next, the major rain forest regions are surveyed in separate chapters. Africa is home to mountain gorillas and okapis. Tigers and rhinoceroses shelter in the forests of India and Southeast Asia. Central America leads the way in rain forest ecotourism, while the islands of the Caribbean contain only fragile rain forest fragments. The Amazon basin contains more than half of the world's remaining rain forest. Finally, the temperate rain forests of New Zealand and North America are home to the tallest trees in the world. Enriched with maps and magnificent photographs. An excellent primer on this imperiled ecosystem. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Bottom line: both a lovely book and a substantial one." Infodad.com

"This is a celebration of the flora and fauna of the world's rainforests." Wildlife Activist

"While the text is informative, the photographs vividly depict the beauty of rainforest ecosystems...." Richard Walthers Green@Work Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (January 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262151065
• ISBN-13: 978-0262151061
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Ecosystems > Tropical
  • #85 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Rain Forests

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